WRAL Sports Fan

College Football

ACC football schedule features several firsts

By Dane Huffman

Feb 12, 2009

Raleigh, N.C. — It will be a season of firsts for the local schools as ACC football schedules were released Thursday.

North Carolina is playing its first home game on Thursday night. Duke is playing football against N.C. Central for the first time ever. N.C. State has a whopping eight home games for the first time.

And N.C. State’s game with North Carolina comes at the end of the schedule on Nov. 28 in Raleigh. The Tar Heels have traditionally ended their season with Duke, but that game is now Nov. 7 in Chapel Hill. State and Carolina last met in the final game in 1998.

The Tar Heels have never played a Thursday night game on their campus because of limited parking and the fact that the school has classes the next day. But this year, Carolina will play Florida State on Thursday, Oct. 22, in Kenan Stadium.

“Thursday night home games have grown into an excellent way to promote your football program and campus and bring your fans together in a unique experience,” UNC Athletics Director Dick Baddour said in a statement. “It’s the college version of Monday Night Football – it is the only show in town, and football fans across the nation are watching. We have chosen not to play host to previous Thursday night games due to the disruption it would cause at a university like ours where the football stadium is in the heart of campus.”

Baddour said the school decided to host a Thursday night game after discussions with the chancellor and with the ACC. The game will be during fall break, when there are no classes the next day.

The Wolfpack opens on a Thursday night on ESPN, and it’s a compelling start. State will play South Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 3. It’s the first of four straight home games for the Wolfpack. Tom O’Brien and his squad will not travel outside the state of North Carolina until Oct. 17, as the Pack’s first road game (Oct. 3) is at Wake Forest.

Duke has six home games, including its Homecoming game with Central on Sept. 26. The Blue Devils open at home against Richmond on Sept. 5.

N.C. State 2009 football schedule
Sept. 3 - South Carolina
Sept. 12 - Murray State
Sept. 19 - Gardner-Webb
Sept. 26 -. Pittsburgh
Oct. 3 - at Wake Forest
Oct. 10 - Duke
Oct. 17 - at Boston College
Oct. 31 - at Florida State
Nov. 7 -. Maryland
Nov. 14 -. Clemson
Nov. 21 - at Virginia Tech
Nov. 28 -. North Carolina


North Carolina 2009 football schedule
Sept. 5 - The Citadel
Sept. 12 - at Connecticut
Sept. 19 - East Carolina
Sept. 26 - at Georgia Tech
Oct. 3 - Virginia
Oct. 10 - Georgia Southern
Oct. 22 (Thurs) - Florida State (ESPN)
Oct. 29 (Thurs) - at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
Nov. 7- Duke
Nov. 14 - Miami
Nov. 21 -at Boston College
Nov. 28 - at NC State

Duke 2009 football schedule
Sept. 5 - Richmond
Sept. 12 - at Army
Sept. 19 - at Kansas
Sept. 26 N.C. Central (Homecoming)
Oct. 3 - Va. Tech
Oct. 10 - at N.C. State
Oct. 24 - Maryland
Oct. 31 - at Virginia
Nov. 7 - at North Carolina
Nov. 14 - Georgia Tech
Nov. 21 - at Miami
Nov. 28 – Wake Forest